On the Gulf Stream and Currents of the Sea. 169 



parallels of these two places, its rate of motion around the axis of 

 the earth, is reduced from nine hundred and twenty five* to seven 

 hundred and fifty eight miles the hour. 



Therefore this immense volume of water, in passing from the 

 Bahamas to the Grand Banks, meets with an opposing force in 

 the shape of resistance, sufficient in the aggregate, to retard it two 

 miles and a half the minute, and this only in its eastwardly rate. 

 There is doubtless another force qnite as great retarding it to- 

 wards the north, for its course shews that it is the resultant of 

 two forces acting in different directions. If the former resistance 

 be calculated according to received laws, it will be found equal 

 to several atmospheres, and by analogy, how inadequate must the 

 pressure of the gentle trade winds be to such resistance, and to 

 the eifect assigned them ? If therefore in the proposed enquiry, 

 we search for a propelling power, no where but in the higher 

 level of the gulf, we must admit, in the head of water there, the 

 existence of a force sufficient at least to overcome the resistance 

 required to reduce from two miles and a half, to a few feet per 

 minute, the velocity of a stream that keeps in perpetual motion 

 °ne fourth of all the water of the Atlantic Ocean. 



I he facts from observation on this interesting subject, afford 



ls at "est but a mere glimmer of light, by no means sufficient to 



make my mind clear as to a higher level of the Gulf, or as to the 



utnciency of any other of the causes assigned for this wonderful 



s ream. If it be necessary to resort to a higher level in the Gulf, 



to 



Hatteras 



jje should not, with like reasoning, resort to a higher level off 

 atteras also, to account for the velocity off the Grand Banks, 



and thus make the Gulf Stream a descending current, and by the 



r *ductio ad absurdem, show that the trade winds are not adequate 



t0 the effect ascribed. 



When facts are wanting, it often happens that in their stead 



ypothesis will serve all the purposes of illustration. Let us 



before suppose a globe of the earth's size, having a solid nu- 



eus ana * covered all over with water two hundred fathoms deep, 



J* that every source of heat and cause of radiation are removed, 

 tn at its fl u id temperature becomes constant and uniform 



r 915-26 to 758 60. On the latter parallel, the current has a set to the east 

 e mile and a half the hour: making the true east velocity seven hundred 

 '^'"v miles the hour. 



01 *»*n, No. l.-ApriH-June, 1844. 22 



